Another treasure trove of shipwrecks is the once forbidden country of Albania. As reported by The Daily Mail, the former repressive regime has opened its doors to tourists to augment their economy. One result is the uncovering of an estimated 40 shipwrecks that are resting under its 200-mile-long coastline. While no figures as to their total worth are still available, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the net value would be in the billions of dollars.

The shipwrecks that had been sighted by deep sea divers and other marine explorers span thousands of years, from the first sea vessels used by the ancient Greeks 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, the European galleons similar to the San Jose, and the warships and submarines destroyed during the First and Second World Wars. The Albanian government is right on the mark in saying that the value of these shipwrecks lies not just in their cargo, but in their depiction of the heroism of their sailors: the first explorers who had set sail from their homelands to discover what lay on the other side of the ocean, as well as the maritime officers who gave their lives to defend their respective countries.